Before the Internet, people used printed directories, like the Yellow Pages, to find information about a business. Citations are modern equivalents of the Yellow pages. They are electronic directories that include your business name, address, phone number, etc. They increase your business visibility and credibility. Citations building is a key element of an intelligent SEO effort.

​Why Do Citations Matter?

For Google, citations are badges of merit used to determine the credibility of a website. Businesses with several quality citations often rank very high on the search engines result page. Citations are one of the most important ranking factors for local search results.

​What citations do I need?

There are hundreds of citations to consider. Some top tier generic citations such as Bing, Google and Foursquare are a must for all businesses. Some citations are specialized for dentists, attorneys, web designers etc. Not all citations are equal but, as a general rule, the more quality citations you have the better it is for your business.

​Many citations directories will list your business for free but manual submitting is a tedious and time-consuming process. Most small business owners prefer to purchase their citations through a citation building service provider such as Alco Web Design. Contact us now, we can help.

With modern web design tools, it is relatively easy to create a good-looking website. But creating a website that consistently drives new business by taking customers to your virtual door steps is not easy at all. Are you stuck with a website that brings little to no business? A thorough website analysis is the only way to understand what works and does not work with your website.

​Did You Say Free Website Analysis?

​Many companies offer free website analysis but most of them simply compile stats about your website and try to sell you services that you don’t need. Others will simply make money by selling your personal information to telemarketers or peddlers. Nothing is free in life and you usually get what you pay for.

​Local SEO Services

​Local sales are very important for most small businesses because their sales are usually made locally. In other words, there is no point for a Wisconsin plumber to advertise in California or China. Unlike most SEO experts, Alco Web Design specializes in local SEO services. Our website audit will evaluate many aspects of your website including:

Links and authority

Search rankings

Local business listings

Reviews and ratings

Google My Business (GMB) optimization

On-Site SEO factors

Social media presence

Website organization

Overall user experience

​Website SEO Audit

​The purpose of your website is to get visitors and convince them to call, email, or walk-in to your business place. If you are disappointed with the performance of your existing website, you should consider a comprehensive website audit to understand what is going on with your website.

​Choose your SEO Expert Wisely

At Alco Web Design, our analysis and recommendations are manually compiled by a competent SEO expert and presented in a language that you can understand. We charge you an honest price for a thorough website analysis and there are no strings attached. This guarantees that we stay honest and keep YOUR interests in mind.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions or concerns about the performance of your website. We are not always around the phone, fill up the contact us form and we will get back to you promptly.

For most small business owners, their website is the most important component of their online presence. This is why it is so important to get it designed and maintained by an experienced small business website design expert. But here is a little-known secret: A successful website is not a set-and-forget project.

A successful small business website is not a set-and-forget project. Website experts recommend periodic updates.

​Updating your Website - Why it Matters

Things change all the time on the internet. If you don’t update your website regularly and your competitors do, your website will quickly become nowhere to be found. To stay on top of the search engines results, websites need to be periodically touched up by an SEO expert. Let’s take a detailed look at why you should have your website checked and updated periodically:

Website Security MattersWebsite security is a big deal, regardless of whether you’re a small business or a larger one. It is common to hear about hackers attacking business website and stealing customer information (this week it was Facebook, again). Those breaches negatively impact your customers, but it is not all. The day your existing and prospective customers lose trust in your ability to protect their personal information, you will lose their business.

Be careful when collecting personal information from your customers and make sure your website is safe and secure. Hackers are creative and discover new vulnerabilities every day. Work with experts and periodically ask your Web Designer to make sure your website security is up-to-date.

Fresh Content MattersSearch engines reward websites with fresh content by increasing their rankings on the search results. This makes them easier to be found by prospective customers. Websites with older content slowly disappear from the top of the search results and eventually do not get found.

Nobody wants to visit a website that has outdated content. In addition to please the search engines, fresh content will let your visitors know that you are serious about your business and that the products and services you offer can be trusted.

Periodic SEO Touch Ups MattersMake sure to ask your SEO expert to periodically touch up your website at least twice a year. Search engines change their ranking algorithms hundreds of times per year. Periodically reviewing the relevancy of your keywords and how they are being used throughout your website is a good idea. If done frequently, small and inexpensive changes are usually enough to keep your website fresh and crisp.

Updated Design MattersA visually appealing and easy to use website will convince potential customers about the seriousness of your small business. Make sure things look good, and that everything is fully functional. These days, more and more people use phones or tablets when browsing the web. Think about your mobile visitors and don’t overlook the mobile version of your website that is a must for small businesses.

​Top Quality Small Business Web Redesign Services

​As you can see, there are many distinct advantages to updating your site on a regular basis and getting this work done by an SEO expert. At Alco Web Design LLC, we provide customized solutions to our clients and make sure that their website gets the visibility it needs.

You can always get in touch with us if you want more information or consider touching up or modernizing your small business website. Just give us a call at (920) 850-4642 or fill up the contact us form and we will get back to you promptly.

A few months ago, Google announced that they are starting to use the mobile version of websites for indexing and ranking purposes. This change recognizes that more and more people are using mobile devices to perform internet searches to the point that Google believes its primary users are now mobile. How does it affect Small Business Website Owners?

​How does Google Mobile-First Indexing affect my small business website?Google is the king of the search engines and they do not have any intention to lose their leadership position. This means that this transition to Mobile-First Indexing will be progressive and coordinated. Google already announced that the transition will be done by waves with the websites that follow the best mobile practices going first. Website owners will be notified via email when their website gets migrated.

What if I do not have a mobile website?According to Google, they will continue to have one single index for serving search results. Historically, the desktop version was indexed, but increasingly, the mobile version will be used. If you only have desktop content, your website will continue to be indexed, at least for now…

Are non-mobile compliant websites being penalized?According to Google, content gathered by Mobile-First Indexing has no ranking advantage over mobile content that’s not yet gathered this way or desktop content, at least for now…

What should I do next?For some time, Google has been encouraging webmasters to make their content mobile-friendly. The Google Mobile-First Indexing initiative is a strong signal that the future of the web is mobile.

In addition to your mobile visitors that could use a website that displays well and is easy to use on a wide variety of screen sizes, Google is about ready to slap your fingers for not having a mobile compliant website.

At Alco Web Design, we have the expertise to create or analyze a mobile version of your website. For help or more information, call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us form, we would be happy to help.

Periodically publishing a blog post is an easy way for small business owners to promote their website and increase their sales. You offer new products or services? You expanded your territory? You have new staff? Let the world know about what is new and exciting about your small business. Google loves fresh content. Blogging is an easy way to remind Google that your small business is alive and kicking.

Blogging is a cost-effective small business website promotion technique

BLOG POST CONTENT​You heard it before, content is king. There is not point to write a blog post that nobody wants to read.

Keep things simple: Most small business blog posts are 400-500 characters in length. Think SEO and make sure your most important keyword comes at least 3 times throughout the write up.

Take it easy on the sales pitch: The primary objective of your blog post is to connect with potential customers, not to make a sale. Connect, establish relationship, demonstrate expertise, build trust, open the door. If you do a good job, the sale will come later.

Use small paragraphs and short sentences: People don’t read on the internet, they skim. Use 5th grade vocabulary and grammar to make sure your visitors can quickly and easily understand your message.

Work and rework the text of your blog post: Limit the distractions and use your favorite text editor to make sure your write up is perfect before you even think about publishing it.

Post title: The post title will also be displayed on the Google search results. Use a catchy title that will get the reader’s attention and convince them to go to your post. Make sure your title contains your most important keyword.

Post Highlights: On top, use bold characters to create a summary that tells your readers what the post is all about and convince them to read more. Include a reference about the author and a link to your website (Google likes incoming links).

Use of picture(s): Appropriate visual elements will make your blog post look good and help reinforce the concepts you are trying to drive. Don’t copy pictures from the internet. This is illegal and some unscrupulous companies make a business at finding and fining violators. Use your own picture or purchase a stock photo.

Post wrap up: At the end, summarize your blog post and politely inviting the readers to contact you for more details, information, or help.

Mobile considerations: Mobile devices can only display a few characters per line. Remove un-necessary spaces after paragraphs and use a single space after sentences to minimize unnecessary line changes in the mobile version of your post.

CREATE WEEBLY BLOG POSTWeebly is the perfect small business website design tool. Here is how to create a blog post with Weebly.Web browser consideration: When working with Weebly, I use Google Chrome because it includes a default “Paste as plain text” option that removes the original formatting when cutting and pasting. This feature eliminates double text formatting errors that are sometimes difficult to detect.Create new post: Go to your blog page and click the “New Post” at the bottom right.

Google likes links so create a link from your picture to a page of your website.

Reuse some elements of your post title and take advantage of the picture CAPTION and ALT TEXT tools to help Google understand what your post is all about. Make sure the CAPTION and ALT TEXT contain your most important keyword.

Google optimize your post:

At the bottom left, click POST OPTIONS

Assign one or more category to your post. Use categories that contain your most important keyword.

Reuse some elements of your post title and create a permalink (URL) that contains your most important keyword. Separate words with a dash (-) character to make the URL easy to read. “Blog-post-cost-effective-small-business-website-promotion-technique” is an example.

Reuse some elements of your post title and create a SEO post title that contains your most important keyword. (65 characters max)

Reuse some elements of your post highlights and create a SEO post description that contains your most important keyword. (155 characters max)

Publish your blog post:

As part of the publishing process, Weebly offers the option to automatically include a note on your Facebook and Twitter accounts so your followers know about your new post are invited to read it. This is an awesome feature, take advantage of it.

Once published, verify that your blog post looks good on a computer and on a mobile device.

Make sure there are no errors and that all links are functional.

Bingo you are done

​Periodically publishing a blog post is an easy and cost-effective way to promote a small business website. Writing for the web is a delicate balance between creating persuasive content that is also easy for Google to categorize. Our experienced blog post writers know how to craft a message that will impress Google and your visitors. For help or more information, call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us form, we would be happy to help.​

Last week was small business week so why don’t you grow that small business of yours by spending a few minutes promoting your website? Here are 10 easy ways to improve the Google search results of your website.

Google changes the rules all the time and your competitors work hard to get on top of the search results. If you don’t do anything you get behind. Most of the SEO & website promotion activities listed below can be implemented easily and for free.

Refresh your website: You offer new products or services? You expanded your territory? You have new staff? The sun is shining? Let the world know about what is new and exciting about your small business.

Take advantage of the new Google My Business (GMB) tools: Refresh or touchup your GMB listing to remind Google and your potential customers that your small business is alive and kicking. GMB recently released a bunch of new tools, take advantage of them!

Create a mailing list: Get leads to potential customers by creating a mailing list. People opting in for your mailing list are obviously interested to hear from your small business. Increase your sales by giving them what they want.

Create a new write up or blog post like this one: If you already have a mailing list, a blog, or a Facebook account, write something up and get in touch with those potential customers. It does not have to be complicated, reuse write ups from promotional documents or customer service emails you already have.

Join the modern age and create a video of your business: Post it to your website, YouTube, Facebook, and to your Google My Business (GMB) listing.

Review your search terms: Things change all the time on the internet. Make sure your main search terms are still the right ones for your small business.

Check your Google rankings: Do it yourself or get help from your webmaster. Your competitors constantly change their website. If you don’t, they will rank on top of yours and get your customers.

Get a mobile website: You don’t have a mobile website? Where have you been? Everybody is browsing the web with tablets and cell phones these days. Get mobile and advertise your business where your potential customers will find it.

Get Listed: Consumers can’t buy from a business they can’t find. Getting citations from the top directories and data aggregators is affordable and necessary for your small business to rank on top of the Google search results.

Review your reviews: Most customers look at online reviews before making a purchase. Check your reviews every week and try to understand why you got negative reviews. Customer service is everything. Politely reach out to people that left negative reviews and see what you can do to make them happy or even to change their review.

Continuous improvement is the least expensive way to maintain your small business website on top of the Google search results. For help or more information, call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us form. Talk is cheap, we will get back to you promptly.

Many people consider online reviews from Facebook, Google, Angie’s List, etc. when shopping for goods and services. Positive online reviews are great for small businesses but soon or later you will have to deal with a negative review from an unhappy customer.

The following link will take you to an outstanding article that explains how to respond to negative online reviews. This article will show you how to turn negative reviews into positive reviews. It will also show you how to take advantage of those negative reviews to show other potential customers how important customer satisfaction is to your business.

Monitor Online ReviewsQuickly responding to negative reviews is of prime importance but there are so many online review sites that it is very difficult and time consuming to monitor all online reviews. We can automate this process, so you receive an email identifying your new online reviews on a weekly basis. For more information call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us from and we will get back to you promptly.

For most small businesses, ranking high on the Google search results is not rocket science but it requires a methodical approach. According to a recent study by Moz (www.moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors) the Google ranking results for local small businesses are primarily based on the following factors.

​Gone are the days where having a website was the only thing small business owners had to do to drive customers to their doorsteps. Every business has a website these days and competition is fierce for the top of the Google search results. Here is what you and your Web Master should focus on:

1 - Google My Business Signals (Proximity, categories, keyword in business title, etc.) 19%In addition to be the most important search ranking factor, your Google My Business (GMB) listing is an excellent way to connect online with potential customers. Setting up GMB is free and easy. Once your GMB account is setup, take advantage of the GMB posts to advertise for special events and promotions.

2 - Link Signals (Inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, linking domain quantity, etc.) 17%For Google, links are like votes at a popularity contest. Websites that get many links, especially from important websites, must be good and deserve to rank high on the Google search results. Trade reciprocal links with your supplier, customers, or other noncompetitive businesses. Get links from your local chamber of commerce or local organizations you sponsor or are part of. Participate to blogs or publish newsletter with a link back to your website. Tell the world about your website and get linked!

3 - On-Page Signals (Presence of NAP, keywords in titles, domain authority, etc.) 14%Writing for the web is a delicate balance between creating persuasive content that is also easy for Google to categorize. Give Google a chance to understand what goods and services you offer, who are your customers, where is your business located and how to contact you. Your webmaster does not know your business. Work and rework the text of your pages, then let your webmaster take care of the technical details.

4 - Citation Signals (IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, citation volume, etc.) 13%Before the Internet, people used printed directories like the Yellow Pages to find information about a business. Citations are the modern equivalents of the Yellow pages. They are electronic directories that publish your business name, address, phone number, etc. Many citations directories will list your business for free but manual submitting is a tedious and time-consuming process.

6 - Behavioral Signals (Click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, check-ins, etc.) 10%Google uses statistical info about your visitors to determine how well your website meets their needs. Websites that get attention from visitors rank higher on the Google search results. Make sure your content is interesting and well organized, so your visitors quickly find what they look for and come back to your website. Having fresh content, creating periodic promotions or creating a blog are good ways to convince visitors to come back to your website.

7 - Personalization 10%Websites with original content rank higher on the Google search results. Do not copy from you’re your competitors. Come up with your own text and do better. Writing for the web is not easy for most small business owners that are business people, not writers. Consider professional writing services.

8 - Social Signals (Google engagement, Facebook engagement, Twitter engagement, etc.) 4%Interestingly, participation to the social medias ranks last on the top Google ranking factors. This means that, for most small businesses, social medias should be used with moderation and after work on other factors has been completed.

Alco Web Design LLCHaving a website is pointless if nobody finds it. We take SEO seriously and strive to deliver consistent and sustainable traffic to your virtual doorsteps. Let our web designers, SEO experts, and website content writers turn your website into a cost-effective marketing tool. For more information call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us from and we will get back to you promptly.

You got a website that brings little or no business? Your website is the face of your company. It is crucial to ensure that it is designed well and functions perfectly. This will help you make a great impression, attract customers and increase profitability. If you find that despite having an online presence, your website isn’t doing much in terms of attracting traffic, you should consider retaining the services of a web redesign professional.

Alco Web Design provides web redesign services to small business owners from different industries. We focus on analyzing your website and recommending the changes that will ensure it does its job of converting traffic into emails, phone calls, or walk-ins. We have the expertise to look at every aspect of your website to identify what does or doesn’t work.

Website Redesign Services

​User ExperienceIt is important to ensure your website looks good and is easy to use on various mobile platforms. Our websites are Google friendly, mobile ready, and they look great.

Engaging and Relevant ContentWriting for the web is a delicate balance between creating persuasive content that is also easy for Google to categorize. Our experienced website content writers know how to craft a message that will impress Google and your visitors.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)Having a website is pointless if nobody finds it. SEO is the art of bringing your website on top of the Google search results, so it can be found by potential customers. We take SEO seriously and strive to deliver consistent and sustainable traffic to your virtual doorsteps.

Local Business Listings - Citations BuildingBefore the Internet, people used printed directories like the Yellow Pages to find information about a business. Citations are electronic directories that include your business name, address, phone number, etc. They are one of the most important ranking factors for local search results.

Website AuthorityThe authority of your website plays a big part in how high your business ranks in search engine results. We analyze how well you do compared to your competitors and give you tips about increasing your website authority.

Social Reviews and RatingsThese days it is important to 'socialize' your business and get good reviews on the social medias. We examine your use of and popularity across different social medias and recommend changes that will convince Google and your visitors about the seriousness of your business.

We at Alco Web Design LLC can provide excellent web redesign services and turn your website in a cost-effective marketing tool. For more information call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us from and we will get back to you promptly.

A small business website is considerably smaller than for a large corporation and will have fewer pages. But it is crucial that your business website is well-planned and well-designed as that helps improve sales and profitability. Here are some important aspects to keep in mind while building a small business website.​By Alain Houle, Alco Web Design LLC

Regardless of the size of your business and industry you operate in, it is important to have a solid online presence; and one of the most important components of this online presence is your company website.

Contact information should feature on every pageStudies have proved that a large percentage of visitors that look for your website do so to find your address and contact number. This makes it important to include your contact details on every page. Not only will it become easier for visitors to locate this information, but it will improve your local ranking too.

Include geographically-targeted keywords (including geographical info)If you want to rank higher on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), you will need to conduct some research on what the targeted local keywords are. These long-tailed keywords should be included in all your on-page content, blog content as well as service descriptions.

Ensure your site has customer testimonials and that there are online reviewsAlmost 80% of customers read online reviews before they purchase a product or service. This makes it important for you to have plenty of online reviews and testimonials. While you can’t compel customers to write these, you can always encourage them and request them to write a review if they are happy with your services. This gives prospective customers the assurance that they are dealing with a credible company and they will be keener to do business with you.

Keep your blog updatedJust as it is important to have a blog on your website, it is crucial that you keep the content fresh and updated. When you post relevant and engaging content online, it tells customers they are dealing with a knowledgeable company that is serious about its business and that helps increase sales. Aside from this, blogging also helps boost your ranking on the SERPs. All your blogs are pages that will be indexed by Google; over a period of time this becomes a large amount of content on your website and is something Google takes into consideration.

Include images and other visualsMake sure that you mix the content on your website with good quality, relevant and interesting visuals. These could be in the form of images, videos, and infographics etc. Not only does this break the monotony of reading text, but improves the appearance of your website as well.

You need a knowledgeable and experienced web designing company to handle small business website design. We at Alco Web Design LLC can provide custom Local SEO solutions for your small business; please call us on 920 8504642 or fill in this contact us from and we will get back to you promptly.

Local sales are important for small business owners. Everyday large and medium-sized businesses compete with each other for online recognition. And so, if you are a small business with a more localized audience, you may go unnoticed in this crowded marketplace. This is where Local SEO comes in.

​Every business owner knows exactly how important it is to have a user-friendly website that showcases relevant information, looks great and functions well. While all of these are very important aspects of building a website, it’s crucial to optimize your site properly too. Local sales are important to small business owners. Using the right kind of SEO techniques will help ensure it get the visibility needed to attract the right customers and improve conversion rates.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial in building brand awareness for your company or business. This is because online users are more likely to trust sites that are amongst the top 10 on the SERPs (search engine results pages) than brands that aren’t.

What is local SEO?Local SEO is a very specific and effective method of online marketing that gives small businesses the chance to promote their services and products to a niche, local audience. When you use Local SEO, local business directories such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Google Local will send local customers to your website.

Local SEO promotes your business’ name, address, phone number, as well as the products and services YOU offer, and not just your website. Including Local SEO in your overall marketing strategy can help you reach local customers that are more inclined to purchase your products and services.

The benefits of Local SEO

Regardless of the size/type of your local business, a targeted approach towards web traffic can increase your overall sales. The right techniques will help you reach customers when they’re actually ready to buy.

While it’s important to have higher traffic numbers, they don’t necessarily always bring in more sales. It’s crucial to learn more about your site visitors’ location, their marketing preferences, and interests. A well-planned Local SEO strategy can help a business understand what types of strategies rivals use and how to use a customized approach suited to their business.

When the right users are targeted, you will automatically find there is a rise in conversions. Local SEO will help your businesses target the right visitors so you benefit from long-term sales success.

You should conduct some research on the competition. Begin by thinking of your site’s commonest search terms; these will give you an idea of which other businesses are implementing similar online marketing strategies. It might seem like a monumental task to compete against larger companies, but local searches are far less competitive.

By using the right Local SEO strategy, you have every chance to establish yourself locally. We at Alco Web Design LLC can provide custom Local SEO solutions for your small business; please call us on 920 850-4642 or fill in this contact us from and we will get back to you promptly.

Local sales are important for most small businesses. If you expect your website to be found by local customers, it must include pointers about your physical location and the area you operate in. Here are a few simple ideas to clearly tell Google and your customers where you are doing business.

Website FooterYour business name, address, and phone number should appear on the footer of each of your pages. In addition to tell Google about your physical location, it makes it easy for potential customers to contact you. If you serve multiple cities, you could identify the top 3-4 cities in a statement like “Proudly serving the Green Bay, Oshkosh, Appleton, and surrounding communities”.

About Us PageThe main purpose of the About Us page is to tell your visitors about yourself and your business. It is also a great place to add physical locations you’re trying to rank for. For instance, “I create websites for small-business owners in the Appleton Fox Valley”.

Testimonials PageThe main purpose of the Testimonials page is to help build trust with potential customers. But including the customer’s physical location also tells Google about your operating area. Use the same concept for your Facebook, Yelp, and Google My Business pages.

Multiple Location PagesIf your business operates from multiple locations, create separate pages for each location and include localized content on those pages such as address, phone numbers, hours of operation, etc.. But also take the time to include references to community involvement activities, support for local non-profit organization, local events or partnerships you might be part of.

FAQ PageCreating FAQ pages on your site is also a great opportunity to add local content and references while answering questions from your potential customers. Where are you located, who are your customers, etc.

Contact Us PageHaving a Google Map on your contact us page makes it easy for Google to verify your physical location.

SummaryIf you expect your website to be found by local customers, it must include pointers about your physical location and the area you operate in. Don’t overdo it but sprinkle geographical pointers throughout your website wherever it makes sense for your visitors.

You got a website that brings little or no business? Alco Web Design specializes in SEO services for small business owners of the Appleton Fox Valley area. We are there to help, contact us or call us at (920) 850-4642. We will get back to you promptly.

Most of my customers are small business owners that operate from one physical location. Their Google My Business (GMB) listings are straight forward: One listing, one address, one phone number, and one link to their home page. But how does it work for businesses with multiple physical locations?

I was recently asked to setup GMB listings for a small business that operates from two different physical locations. The last thing you want is to confuse Google and I had to figure out how to do it right. Here is what I found:

GMB listings relate entirely to physical locations. So, if you have 2 physical locations, you are eligible for 2 GMB listings.

Each business location can have the exact same name without the need for a modifier (like city). Use the business name exactly as it appears in the real world for both listings (Joe’s garage).

Each business location MUST be assigned a unique phone number because Google wants the number you list to connect directly to the location.

Each business location should have its own landing page on the business website. Location landing pages represent very powerful opportunities to target specific users. Make the content unique and include the name, address and phone number of the business location at the top of its respective landing page.

Business citations, including GMB listings, should be specific for each business location with unique phone numbers, addresses, and landing pages.

As you can see, creating multiple GMB listings is easy but doing it right requires a fair amount of overhead, especially if it involves managing hundreds of citations. Conventional land internet marketing is all about maximizing results and minimizing efforts. There is nothing wrong with having multiple GMB listings but it should be done only when lower hanging fruits have been picked.

You got a website that brings little or no business? Alco Web Design specializes in internet marketing services for small business owners of the Appleton Fox Valley area. We are there to help, contact us or call us at (920) 850-4642. We will get back to you promptly.

Creating a website is very easy and anybody can do it. There are even some outfits that will create your website for free. But creating a successful website that brings customers and generates money is easier said than done. Here are some pointers that will guide you through the process... or convince you to get specialized help.

Identify the potential Google search terms for your business. Don’t think only about the goods and services you are offering but also about your customer’s needs. If you are chiropractor, sport injuries might be a good search term. There are free keywords generator tools on the internet, use them.

Rank the potential search terms based on the relevancy to your business, how often they are used on Google, and how many websites you compete against. There are free keywords ranking tools on the internet, use them.

Group your best potential search terms by themes and come up with the 2-4 top themes you want to target with your website. Your website will have one GOODS & SERVICES page for each of those themes.

TEXT FOR THE IMPORTANT PAGES

Websites don’t get Google’s attention, web pages do. You heard it before, content is king and Google looks for pages with original, meaningful, and well organized content. This content is usually found in the GOODS & SERVICES pages of your website.

Write the textual content for each GOODS & SERVICES page, one page for each theme. The purpose of these pages is to describe the goods and service you offer and to convince the readers that you offer the best value proposal.

Take it easy on the text, you are not writing a book. Use simple words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. 5th grade English will do the trick.

The text of your GOODS & SERVICES pages will make or break the success of your website. The text should be user friendly, interesting, and inviting.

Make sure the top search terms for each theme come naturally throughout the text. If paragraphs don’t contain your top search terms they probably don’t belong to that page.

Coming up with the right text for your GOODS & SERVICES pages is easier said than done. Work and rework the text of those pages. Getting help from a professional writer might be a smart investment.

No matter how good they are, your webmaster or professional writer know very little about your business. Get involved with this critical step of the process.

TEXT FOR THE OTHER PAGES

Your ABOUT US page should convince your visitors that you know what you do, are trustworthy, and bring value. Be personal, be human, be humble, but don’t be bashful. Include your name, address, picture. Talk about the community activities you are involved with, honors you received, your expertise, your company, and what you bring to the table.

Your HOME page should summarize the goods and services you offer, who are your typical customers, and what kind of company you are. Save some time by reusing some of the text on the ABOUT US and GOODS & SERVICES pages.

Your CONTACT US page should let your visitors know your operating hours, where is your business, and how to contact you.

Your TESTIMONIALS, GUARANTEE and other pages should support the message of expertise, honesty, and value that will convince your visitors to contact you.

CREATE YOUR WEBPAGES

Create your web pages. Use a modern Google friendly and mobile compliant programming tool. I strongly recommend Weebly that is very easy to use and powerful enough to meet the needs of most small business owners. Keep things simple but be creative. Use images and logos to stand out but be careful not take your visitors away from your content.

Create the sitemap, install the Google Analytics tracking code and setup the Google WebMaster tools. Publish your website and submit it to the major search engines. This is specialized work, seek professional web design help as needed.

OPTIMIZE EACH OF YOUR WEB PAGES (ON-PAGE SEO)

Google will look for the presence of your keywords in specific visible and invisible areas of your web pages that have to be individually optimized. Optimize each page individually. Textual content and layout changes are to be expected during this step. There are lots of things to look at and specialized tools to facilitate this process. Seek professional on-page SEO help as needed.

MARKET YOUR WEBSITE (OFF-PAGE SEO)

Internet marketing are promotional activities designed to convince the search engines about the seriousness of an existing website. Since it does not involve modifying your website, internet marketing is often called off-page SEO. There are lots of things to look at and specialized tools to facilitate this process. Seek professional off-page SEO help as needed.

Setup a Google Local and Bing local account for your business and get reviews from your satisfied customers.

Exchange links with complementary non-competitive businesses.

Get listed in key local directories such as yellow pages, Yelp, and others. There are hundreds of them and some of them are specialized by sector (dentists is an example).

Create Facebook and Twitter accounts and be active in the social medias community, especially if your customers are social media addicted.

Invest on pay-per-click ad campaigns such as Google AdWords and Facebook

Create and post YouTube videos.

WORK AND RE-WORK YOUR WEBSITE

Your competitors always tweak their websites, especially if they see your website on top of theirs on the google search results. If you don’t get ahead of them you will get behind. Don’t think you will ever be done working and re-working yours.

WALK TO THE BANK WITH A SMILE

There is no magic trick, it is all about knowledge, dedication, and hard work.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you follow these steps seriously your website will bring customers and will become a cost-effective marketing tool for your business.

We are there to help, contact us or call us at (920) 850-4642. We will get back to you promptly.

Search engines are getting increasingly sophisticated. In their effort to deliver the most informative and relevant search results, the algorithms look at multiple sources to gauge the legitimacy and the authority of a particular website. These sources include Google+, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other such business directories.

If your business is listed on such high-authority networks, the search engine algorithm would trust your website and consider it legitimate enough to be displayed on organic local searches.

What are Citations?Before the Internet exploded onto the scene, people used to manually browse through a directory like Yellow Pages to find a business and its contact information. That piece of information is known as a citation. With the internet, citations are listings of your business name, address, and information in electronic directories.

Now, users just need to type some words on the search bar and they can get results in a fraction of a second. They don’t need to browse through bulky directories as the search engines would give them all the information they need. But where do search engines get their information from?

Some of that information comes from citations in local online directories. Just like we’ve grown to incorporate the Internet into our lives, our directories have as well. Today, we have the White Pages, Yellow Pages, Yelp, Google +, and other such directories. They have business names, contact information, and perhaps even ratings and reviews.

Why Do Citations Matter?Like with the old yellow pages, citations increase your business’ visibility. The more citations you have, the more visible you are to the search engines. Businesses with several good quality citations often rank very high on search engine results page. In fact, it’s one of the most important ranking factors for local search. Having a citation in all local directories will place you on an even footing with big-name companies and allow you a fair share of the market.

There are hundreds of citations sources to consider for your website. You just need to make sure that your citations are placed on reputable and high-authority websites. Search engines will consider the quality of the source when they determine how to rank your website.

If you want more information about our citation building services, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will get back to you promptly.

​Google has a massive presence online and over the years, the company has grown from a simple search engine to an Internet giant that offers a wide range of services. They constantly introduce new upgrades and services at a rate that can make anyone’s head spin. Trying to keep up with the changes can be intimidating and exhausting. Fortunately, Google constantly tries to simplify its services and consolidate them as much as possible.

Different Arms of GoogleIt’s important to be highly visible on Google, especially if you want to increase your rankings. However, for that you need to understand where you’re present on Google. Even if you’ve not provided any information about your business to the search engine, it’s likely you’ll still find information about it online, because Google takes information from various sources. You need to ensure that all of this information is consistent by looking into your online presence.

Google My Business – This is the control module and you can access most of the places where you’re present, via this portal. The setup is easy; all you need to do is log into My Business using your Google id. Once you find it, you should verify the address and claim the business as yours. You now have control over your business presence on Google. You can access Google+, Maps, and other such services through this portal.

Google Maps – Google Maps is one of the most important aspects of Local Search. Users often find local businesses on Maps and use the navigation option to reach it. It’s very important to keep your Maps data accurate. While you’re claiming your business, make sure that the pin is positioned properly. Misleading data can frustrate search users and compromise your reputation.

Local Search – The Google local 3-pack system places the three best results from local search at the top of the local search engine results. The locations of these results are also displayed on Google Maps. Business that are placed in the local 3-pack enjoy very high visibility and foot traffic.

As you might have already concluded, these three arms of Google can help small business website owners, allowing them to compete with big names companies and increase their revenue.

If you want more information on Google or our services, don’t hesitate to contact us at Alco Web Design LLC, we will get back to you promptly.

​Regardless of the industry you operate in, competition is on the rise. More than likely there are a large number of businesses online that provide products and services that are similar to yours. What many business owners fail to realize is that internet shoppers are very interested to know who they do business with.

That’s exactly why they check the “About Us” page on your website. If you have just a smattering on information there and haven’t really cared to write anything substantial about your background etc, they may be more inclined to leave the website and take their business somewhere else.

Here are some pointers about what you can add to the “About Us” page:

Don’t be afraid to speak about your background. If you started off small, mention it; this approach will help you focus on giving a human face to your business. The one way to set your business apart from the competition is to give it a personal touch and that is exactly what the “About Us” page does.

Don’t ramble. Speak with clarity and mention everything in brief and stay away from mentioning trivial things. It’s important to be truthful and maintain brevity.

Strike the right balance between promoting yourself and just giving customers a peek into what your company is all about.

Consider the use of photos, videos and relevant infographics. But don’t use it to such an extent that it takes away from the content on the page.

Make mention of your company’s vision, mission statement and values. Again, it’s important not to make it too flowery or too lofty.

Include a Call To Action at the end. Here too, it’s important not to get too aggressive as that can sometimes be a put off. In addition to your contact details, add a subtle line that encourages readers to delve deeper into your website or contact you via the number or email listed there. A successful marketing strategy at this point would be to offer a sign-up discount or some other offer.

As you can see, the “About Us” page on your website isn’t as inconsequential as it may look like. It’s a great way to connect with readers, tell them more about your company and encourage them to stay on your site. For more online marketing tips and for comprehensive web design solutions, spend some time on this blog or contact us, we will respond promptly.

​Most people that are looking for a product or service will end up conducting an online search. They will look at multiple sites that provide that product or service and zero in on one that matches their requirements. Not only do they look at the specifications and description of a product; they also want to ensure the site they are purchasing the product from is a credible company.

​They ascertain this by looking at what the position of the website is on the SERP (search engine results page). You will rarely find users moving onto the second page of the search results. So when there are so many biggies out there with established companies working on their marketing strategies, how can the small businesses keep up?​

Some strategiesThe good news is that it’s possible even for small businesses to reach that coveted position on the SERP; they can do this by focusing on building website authority. Take a look at a few things that can be done easily:

Carve a niche- This is very important; if you deal in multiple services or product niches, your marketing focus will also get diluted. The minute you pour more effort into just a few select keywords, your visibility on search engines will increase.

Long-tail keyword strategy- These are nothing but longer phrases that incorporate your keywords. Statistics prove that long tail keywords help improve ranking- they may bring in less traffic than smaller and more keywords, but the traffic will be more specific to your business.

Local SEO- If you are a small business, its best to focus on Local SEO and target a local audience rather than aim for national or global visibility. The latter two won’t bring in business and won’t add to your authority either.

Focus on inbound links- Use local specific keywords, post press releases and work on increasing the number of inbound links to your site. These links should also come from other high authority sites in your specific industry.

Reviews – The other way to jump in rankings is to focus on cultivating very positive reviews from different customers. That doesn’t mean you solicit reviews or compensate customers for posting favorable reviews. However you can encourage them with occasional call outs via social media sites, or you can encourage reviews using Yelp stickers on your social networking profile.

Authority content publisher- When you want to build credibility, trust, loyalty and awareness, the one way to do that is to frequently publish quality content. Build your on-site blog and distribute videos, podcasts, webinars and ebooks etc via various channels.

When you are consistent with your brand building strategy, you will automatically become a dependable authority in your field. For more information about how you can build authority for your business website, and for comprehensive web design solutions, contact Alco Web Design via email; we will respond promptly.

​In competitive environments, even well designed and well optimized websites have difficulties to stand out and draw their share of visitors. Internet marketing are promotional activities designed to bring potential customers to a website. Here is list of them, please visit our internet marketing page for more details.

​Tell the world about your website: Tell your suppliers, customers, colleagues, partners, friends, family, baby sitters, church members, etc. and invite them to visit your website. Give them an incentive by offering an on-line coupon or some information only available on your website.

Get linked: Ask your suppliers, customers, partners, chamber of commerce, business associations, town hall, local paper, non-competitive businesses, etc. for links to your website. Figure out who links to your competitors and request links to your website. Grease the skid by offering a reciprocal link.

Give a reason to your visitors to come back to your website: Periodically change content, offer sales and promotions, create on-line only promotional items, etc. Publish a blog and send newsletters or periodic emails with links back to your website.

Facebook: I hate Facebook but with 1 billion accounts, Facebook is a force to be recognized. Create a Facebook page and periodically post new information inviting people to visit your website. Once again, give them an incentive by offering an on-line coupon or some information only available on your website. Consider doing the same for Twitter.

YouTube: Create video(s) about your company, post them online and invite viewers to visit your website. YouTube is owned by Google that will reward you for your effort. Create a YouTube channel and group all your videos so they are easy to find.

Local listings: Remember the old Yellow Pages phone book? Many websites offer an electronic version of the Yellow Pages and will gladly list your website for free. Local listings are a must for many small businesses that rely heavily on local sales. Google My Business, Bing Places, and Yahoo Local are the most important and a good place to start. There are many other local listings, prioritize your efforts.

Get reviews and positive feedback: Ask your satisfied customers to post on-line reviews on Facebook, Google Maps, Bing Places, and Yahoo Local. Grease the skid by providing them with incentive such as a coupon, discount, or gift card.

Today, there are a number of online marketing strategies you can use to improve the traffic to your website and ultimately your sales. For most local businesses that rely on local sales, a very strong local search presence is a must. Here are 6 EASY ways in which you can boost your local presence:

Local Listing Pages- This is a very simple process, but a very essential and effective one. Claim local listings on Bing Local, Google, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Hot Frog and many other local directories. Maintain consistency in information across all these directories

Blogging- Create a business blog on your website itself and ensure it’s updated on a regular basis. This helps in increasing your local visibility in local searches. You can create content which targets local keywords and blogging provides a distinct SEO benefit

Optimize Your Website- On-page optimization is crucial with reference to being found on local searches. So, even before starting on link building and citation building, get your webmaster to optimize all the on-page factors on your site

Mobile Friendly- Ensure that your site is mobile-friendly. This tops the list when it comes to local searches. More and more searches are performed via mobile devices and it’s important that users have a seamless experience while they are looking for your business

Social Media - There are a number of social media platforms and it’s important to choose the ones that target your audience. Share blog posts and engage with your audience at least a few times a month

Use Visual Content- It’s a proven marketing fact that consumers are more responsive to visual content such as images, videos and graphics. This will hold your customer’s interest and they will be inclined to stay on your site a little longer﻿﻿

Contact UsThese are just a few of the ways in which you can make your local presence felt and there are many more techniques to strengthen it. As a business owner, it may not be possible for you to manage all these things, and its best to engage the services of a professional Web Design and Online Marketing company like Alco Web Design to manage your Local SEO strategy. As usual don’t hesitate to contact us or to visit our website at staff@alcowebdesign.com.

Every business owner knows the importance of having an online presence and makes every effort to see that it is maintained well and has all the right SEO elements. However, what a number of people fail to focus on are external Web properties. This may sound a little complex, so let us break it down for you.

​Changing AlgorithmsFor any strong local business, it is very important to invest in local reviews, maps and directories. If you only spend all your optimization efforts on your site, chances are that you are going to miss out on some fantastic opportunities. Google keeps changing its algorithms on a regular basis and in July 2014, the Pigeon update added more importance to local maps as well as directory websites such as Yelp.

About Local SearchesIt’s important to understand how local searches are relevant. For instance, when you look for “hardware store Greenville” you will have to actually scroll past 3 map listings as well as 3 organic ones before a local website listing shows up on the page. Typically, that means the first local business listing is in 7th position on the page. It’s not likely that many people will scroll down that far and reach your website result. This is why it’s crucial to optimize your online presence with Google Maps and Directory Sites.

Things to DoWhen people are in a particular area and are looking for a business, it’s very important that they be able to find your company quickly and easily or else they will simply take their business to your competitor. These are the things you should focus on:

The first thing to do is to ensure that your business is listed and that all the displayed information is accurate

This can be done for Google Maps through Google My Business

The Google My Business application provides a simple way for any local business owner to claim an existing listing or create a new one

It’s vital that you optimize your listing by adding information such as hours of operation, photos, your URL as well as contact information

It’s important that you create deals & reviews on Yelp as this adds to the credibility of your business

Engage with your customers via Google Maps and Yelp regardless of whether the reviews are positive or negative ones

Get the help of a professional Web Design and Online Marketing company like Alco Web Design to manage your ongoing SEO strategy on Google Maps and Yelp. You can contact us or visit our website at www.alcowebdesign.com.

As an online retailer it’s very important for you to know where the visitors to your site are coming from, what pages they are navigating to and the actions they are taking, once they are on the site. Having a view of this information and being able to analyze that information will help you shape your business website in a much better way to your customer’s needs. There are a number of instances in which even very expensive-looking websites will fail miserably while some very simple and basic ones will succeed. So why exactly does this occur?

The Relevance of AnalysisThe main reason is because the sites that are successful help their visitors meet the main reason for their visit without any kind of fuss. A large percentage of sites either underperform or fail because they do not focus on the business objectives of their sites and do not measure the performance of their online platform against their target audience. This is where website analysis comes into the picture. A good web design and development company will also always provide website analysis services.

In-Sync with Your AudienceThe software shows you how successful you have been in meeting the objective of your site. It will also reveal exactly which of the marketing channels are functioning & which ones aren’t; the pages or sections of your site that are popular and which ones your visitors are avoiding. When you have all this information, the company that is helping you with online marketing will then draw out a detailed marketing strategy and alter certain elements of your website so that it actually works for your business.

Local Marketing StrategyIf certain marketing channels do not seem to be working for you, it’s best to abandon them and focus on the ones that are giving you more visitors and business. In addition to these functions, website analysis tools are also able to capture the geographical location of your customers and if you are using Local SEO and targeting local customers, you will also get a view about how well the strategy is working.

As an online marketer, you have to learn to be flexible and adaptable and it’s also very important to have a very good online marketing partner to help you with Web Analytics. For more information, contact us or visit our website, www.alcowebdesign.com.

Relevant Content- Google keeps updating its algorithms on a regular basis and the focus now is on having quality content on your website. What’s important is that the content that is on your site has to be updated, changed and added to, with regularity and at frequent intervals. Fresh content keeps your site at the top of search results, keeps visitors engaged and interested and ensures that repeat visitors have something new to look at when they visit your website

Customer Feedback- It’s important to get some objective feedback about your website design and its contents. Connect with customers and ask them questions such as:

Could you find our contact details easily?

Do you like the look and layout of our website?

Could you subscribe easily to our newsletter?

These are the kind of questions that reflect all the goals of your business website. For instance, if you want people to subscribe to your newsletter, the subscription process should be easy and have as few clicks as possible.

Blog- When you update your blog on a regular basis and keep adding relevant content to your site, visitors are encouraged to add comments and feedback. This helps you improve the way your site is structured and creates a positive impact.

Sourcing Appropriate Images- It’s best that you use your own images- it’s not really nice to see the same image that you have on your site on a competitor’s site. There is also the question of copyright issues and when you have your own images, it solves both these problems.

Navigation- Once your site is up and running, make it a point to analyze the hits. You are also able to see the duration for which a particular customer was on your site and the links they clicked on. The key pages must be placed strategically & your contact form should not be more than just a couple of clicks away.

There are a number of other aspects that have to be looked into while designing and developing a business website. The one way to get it right is to hire the services of a competent Web Developer. You can contact Alco Web Design or visit our website, www.alcowebdesign.com.

When it comes to maintaining an online presence for your business, it’s very much like ensuring that your vehicle is serviced on a regular basis. Just as you wouldn’t buy a car and then not bother to get it tuned-up, so also is the case with your business website.

If you want the search engines to continue acknowledging your presence and want to be sure that customers will keep finding something interesting on it every time they visit, you will have to evaluate and update your website on a regular basis.

The Latest TechnologyThere is a constant influx of new technologies and when you hire the services of a competent Web Design & Development company, you are assured that your website will get the change it needs. Web development professionals are always up-to-date with the latest technology launches in the field and these can be incorporated into your website to ensure that you are getting the traffic you should.

Mobile Compatible SitesIf your business site is 3/more years old there is also a possibility that it is not mobile compatible. Today many people prefer to view sites via mobile devices and if your site does not show up in an optimal manner on these devices, you are losing out on business and your profitability will be affected. Apart from this, there is a lot of new functionality that can be incorporated, such as RSS, social media integration, blogging,. video presentations, games, and others.

Regular Review All of these go a long way in allowing you to connect with your customer base and help in driving traffic to your site. The objective is to drive sales as this is the main reason for having site in the first place. It helps in improving your online visibility and in building a strong online community and reinforcing your branding.

Web professionals can ensure that all your contact information is up to date and that customers have no trouble in connecting with you. The internet is on round the clock; this also means prospective customers may look at your site at any point of time for the information they need. It makes good business sense to have a site that is updated and spruced-up. That is what maintaining a fresh look is all about. You can contact us or visit our website, www.alcowebdesign.com.

So, your site has finally gone live and you breathe a little easy. You think that now you can just sit back and enjoy the additional sales and profits. But wait! This is just the beginning of the journey. It is crucial that you keep analyzing all the aspects of your website and update it on a regular basis.

﻿Woo ﻿Search Engines- This becomes the key reason for you to keep your website updated. All search engines prefer websites that are updated frequently and this is why it is important for you t﻿o have fresh and unique ﻿conte﻿nt on your site

Impress Customers- If you have old newsletters etc on your site and, visitors to are going to feel that your company is not doing much. It’s important that your customers feel that you are a company that takes its business seriously and that it evolves

Attract Inbound Links- When you keep adding something new to your website, people are more apt to notice it and will discuss about it via social media networks, blogs etc and attract more traffic ﻿

How It Can be AchievedThere are a number of ways in which you can keep your website updated:

Incorporate a Blog- If you do not have a blog on your site- add one now. It’s a simple way of adding new content and helps in increasing your credibility in the industry

News Section- This is important too. Even if you feel that there aren’t too many newsworthy things happening in your company, post something related to your business. If you have attended an industry event- write about it; if you have served your 1500th customer- turn it into news piece. This will keep your site on the right side of search engines

Add images/ vid﻿eos to your site- Include a gallery page on your site as it’s easy to update this regularly. Also add short a﻿nd relevant video clips such as product demonstrations and tutorials. Adding a description about each new addition will give your site the search engine recognition it needs

Other Things You Can DoIn addition to these things, include testimonials on your site as well as new menu pages. In short, make every effort to keep updating and making changes to your site on a monthly, fortnightly/ even a weekly basis and see the positive impact it has on visitor traffic.

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About the Author

​My name is Alain Houle. Since the late 1990s I own and operate Alco Web Design LLC from my home office in Greenville Wisconsin. I specialize in creating professional and cost-effective websites for small-business owners in the Appleton Fox Valley. I love to help local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Contact me now!